5 Random Consulting Lessons

Let's take the way back machine. I started consulting full-time in 1995, trading the corporate route for the home office route. I'm happy with the decision although I wish I could go back and fix the myriad of business and life mistakes I've made.

This, of course, is not an option.

But I've learned a few things in the process and thought I'd share them with you.

Never go live with anything on January 1. My first larger consulting project did so and it proved to be nearly disastrous. People are stressed during the holidays but this project involved unproven, untested, technology. (Disclaimer: It was a corporate decision, not mine, and several key individuals said February 1 would prove a better date.) But alas, such warning went unheeded and people left the project – even though lots of money was changing hands – rather than put in the hours required during the Holidays.

I stipulated early on that if I were called on Christmas day, I would bill them for 1 whole day for each call. I was certain, that I would not be called. But I was called, 3 times! And yes, I billed them 3 days for 2 completely unnecessary calls that lasted 10 minutes or so, and 1 mostly unnecessary "could have waited" call of about 15 minutes. I was aggravated at the time – but later thought, "cool!"

But in reality, money not-with-standing, it wasn't cool. It was the sign of a poorly managed and planned project.

Take a lunch – away from your computer or phone This, of course, should be said to those scrambling like drowning rats up the corporate ladder too. I am convinced that you do not gain in productivity the 40 minutes to an hour you give up when working through lunch. But you do lose it!

I have to be reminded of this often. Even if only for 20 minutes, walk away, sit down, and eat. You will re-enter the fray with a little bit more clarity than if you never look away.

A flawless proposal isn't that important and isn't flawless anyway Get proposals going. But if you believe you are going to cover every topic that should be covered in an engagement, every assumption, every contingency, you will spend more time on the proposal than is warranted. In fact, if you are struggling with your proposal – things you are unsure about (contingencies that could cost you or the client money) ask the client for help on the proposal.

Also, if the project is a small-one, an email proposal should be fine. Don't spend time on the pomp and circumstance required for a formal, printed, bound, and delivered proposal. If you are worried about the client not accepting that, see #4.

If you have a client you cannot approach about necessary changes in scope, drop them Life is too short. Things come up and while you should work on due-diligence, so that you avoid unnecessary scope changes, if you work with a client that you cannot speak freely about changes to the project – whether you overlooked something or they just came up – don't work with them.

I've given up money on my mistakes, some at least, but if your client is going to hold your free to the fire without regard to any sense of your financial well-being, the project is going to fail anyway. You cannot work at a loss – and good clients understand that. Life is too short for the stress and frustration caused by an unrelenting lack of flexibility.

If you don't like building relationships and a degree of salesmanship, DO NOT become a consultant Let's clarify. I know many many people who are technically good but view "sales" as beneath them or as some kind of corruption of the pure genius of their technical talent. That's just stupid.

Long term consulting, as opposed to being a contractor where other sales agencies bring you business, quite simply requires a degree of salesmanship. Of course, the mistaken caricature is that you must become an empty-promises, flesh-pressing, large yellow-tied, used-car sales shark, "I like you so I am willing to make a deal" salesperson.

But think about it. I've never purchased from that guy/gal, have you?

Sales, to me, is about being able to clearly show the business value to your service or advice. It is consultive in nature and largely without "technique".

In fact, my great close during the sales process is so utterly devoid of finesse that it is finesse in and of itself.

When I feel we are at a point of fairly up-front and transparent conversation, and the prospective client and I have had conversations about the value of the project – where we seem to agree that there is value and I can deliver – I say..

"What is it going to take for me to get a check from you to start this project today?"

Guess what? They tell me. So it is either, they are ready to start the project or they are not. I either address the items they bring up at this point, or I do not. If it seems they are not really ready to start, I will ask if there is something I can do to move it forward. If there is nothing within my power to move it forward, I need to move on with the occasional follow-up.

Okay, 5 lessons – not everything you need to know but not a bad start to some advice for the budding or even established consultant.

2 Comments

Having been a "consultant" for almost 23 years, I have a few lessons that I have learned that I'd like to share.

1. Value the people who value you and your talents. What goes around comes around and in these tough times I am giving a lot more "free" time to the client who have been with me for many years.

2. Create a list of qualities that the "perfect client" has and when evaluating a new client or project, make sure they fit. I recently fired a new client because they didn't fit.

3. Go with your gut. In years past I have gotten involved with projects that just didn't sit right from the start. Something was off. Usually I took the project because I needed the money. It was these projects/clients that always caused me grief. Today, if my gut says no, I walk away, no matter how much I need the money.

4. Not everything is a crisis or an emergency. I am always on call to solve my clients computer problems. I get calls at night or on the weekends, and mostly this is not a problem. I even take calls while I ski. I've implemented a policy(parrot) this year that states that if you need me to help you while I am skiing, you have to pay for my lift ticket for the day.

One of the first lessons I learned (fortunately, it was while an employee at a software house but I remembered it) was that, if you have a cliaent that starts quibbling about the Laet Payment clause, you better stick to your guns or make it more stringent . . . because that client is already planning on making late payments.

One other lesson I learned, the hard way, was that you should not provide an equipment list and software design in your proposal unless you have a clause that indicates how much the client will pay for your "design services" if they decide to use your design and someone else to do the work. It's okay to use vague terms like "sufficient and appropriate" for the hardware and software and to provide "an estimate of hardware costs" . . . just don't design the bloody suystem and hand it over for free. ;-)

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I write about career development, business, technology, online presence, music, parenting, hiking, and sometimes... coffee. I am a ...
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I write about career development, business, technology, online presence, music, parenting, hiking, and sometimes... coffee. I am a consultant, executive coach, and author... oh yeah, I am also a father, dog owner, and songwriter/performer.
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